Isaiah 19:11
New International Version
The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings"?

New Living Translation
What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?

English Standard Version
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

Berean Standard Bible
The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?

King James Bible
Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

New King James Version
Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give foolish counsel. How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise, The son of ancient kings?”

New American Standard Bible
The officials of Zoan are mere fools; The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

NASB 1995
The princes of Zoan are mere fools; The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid. How can you men say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings “?

NASB 1977
The princes of Zoan are mere fools; The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid. How can you men say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

Legacy Standard Bible
The princes of Zoan are merely ignorant fools; The counsel of Pharaoh’s wisest counselors has become senseless. How can you men say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of the kings of old”?

Amplified Bible
The princes of Zoan are complete fools; The counsel of the Pharaoh’s wisest advisors has become stupid. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings?”

Christian Standard Bible
The princes of Zoan are complete fools; Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice! How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a student of eastern kings”?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The princes of Zoan are complete fools; Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice! How can you say to Pharaoh,” I am one of the wise, a student of eastern kings"?

American Standard Version
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The Princes of Zoan became insane! The wise men who counsel Pharaoh the King of Kings are mad men! How will you say to Pharaoh: ”We are wise and the sons of the first Kings?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the princes of Tanis shall be fools: as for the king's wise counsellors, their counsel shall be turned into folly: how will ye say to the king, we are sons of wise men, sons of ancient kings?

Contemporary English Version
The king's officials in Zoan are foolish themselves and give stupid advice. How can they say to him, "We are very wise, and our families go back to kings of long ago?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
The princes of Tanis are become fools, the wise counsellors of Pharao have given foolish counsel: how will you say to Pharao: I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

English Revised Version
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The leaders of Zoan are nothing but fools. The wisest of Pharaoh's counselors gives stupid advice. How can you tell Pharaoh, "I'm a descendant of wise men, a descendant of ancient kings"?

Good News Translation
The leaders of the city of Zoan are fools! Egypt's wisest people give stupid advice! How do they dare to tell the king that they are successors to the ancient scholars and kings?

International Standard Version
Zoan's princes are nothing but fools; the wisest advisors of Pharaoh give stupid advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I'm a descendant of wise men, a descendant of ancient kings"?

JPS Tanakh 1917
The princes of Zoan are utter fools; The wisest counsellors of Pharaoh are a senseless counsel; How can ye say unto Pharaoh: 'I am the son of the wise, The son of ancient kings'?

Literal Standard Version
Only, the princes of Zoan [are] fools, | The counsel of the wise ones of the counselors of Pharaoh has become brutish. How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of kings of antiquity?”

Majority Standard Bible
The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?

New American Bible
Utter fools are the princes of Zoan! the wisest of Pharaoh’s advisers give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a descendant of wise men, of ancient kings”?

NET Bible
The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; Pharaoh's wise advisers give stupid advice. How dare you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the sages, one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?"

New Revised Standard Version
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the sages, a descendant of ancient kings”?

New Heart English Bible
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish. The counsel of the wisest counselors of Pharaoh has become stupid. How do you say to Pharaoh, "I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye to Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

World English Bible
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish. The counsel of the wisest counselors of Pharaoh has become stupid. How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?”

Young's Literal Translation
Only, fools are the princes of Zoan, The counsel of the wise ones of the counsellors of Pharaoh hath become brutish. How say ye unto Pharaoh, 'A son of the wise am I, a son of kings of antiquity?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Oracle Concerning Egypt
10The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the hired workers will be sick at heart. 11The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”? 12Where are your wise men now? Let them tell you and reveal what the LORD of Hosts has planned against Egypt.…

Cross References
Acts 7:22
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

Genesis 41:38
So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?"

Genesis 41:39
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

Numbers 13:22
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.

1 Kings 4:30
Solomon's wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

Psalm 78:12
He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.


Treasury of Scripture

Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say you to Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

the princes

Isaiah 19:3,13
And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards…

Isaiah 29:14
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Isaiah 44:25
That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

Zoan

Isaiah 30:4
For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

Numbers 13:22
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

Psalm 78:12,43
Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan…

brutish

Psalm 73:22
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

Psalm 92:6
A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.

Proverbs 30:2
Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

I am

Genesis 41:38,39
And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? …

1 Kings 4:30
And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

Acts 7:22
And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

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Isaiah 19
1. The confusion of Egypt
11. The foolishness of their princes
18. The calling of Egypt into the church
23. The covenant of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel














(11) Surely the princes of Zoan are fools.--Zoan, the great city of the Delta, was known to the Greeks as Tanis, founded, as stated in Numbers 13:22, seven years after Hebron. Here the great Rameses II. fixed his capital, and the city thus acquired the name of Pi-Rameses.

How say ye unto Pharaoh . . .?--The princes of Zoan, probably priest-princes and priest-magicians (Exodus 7:11), boasting at once of their wisdom and their ancestry, are represented as speaking to the Pharaoh of the time (probably, as in Isaiah 18, of Ethiopian origin) in something like a tone of superiority. They claim to be the only counsellors; and the prophet challenges their claim. Can they disclose, as he can, the future that impends over their country?

Verse 11. - Surely the princes of Zoan are fools. Zoan, or Tanis, which had been an insignificant city since the time of the shepherd-kings, came to the front once more at the time of the struggle between Egypt and Assyria. Esarhaddon made it the head of one of the petty kingdoms into which he divided Egypt (G. Smith, 'History of Asshur-bani-pal,' p. 21, 1. 2). Early in the reign of his son it revolted, in conjunction with Sais and Mendes, but was ere long reduced to subjection by the Assyrians. Its king, Petu-bastes, was taken to Nineveh, and there probably put to death. Its "princes" were, no doubt, among those who counseled resistance to Assyria. The counsel of the wise, etc.; literally, as for the wise coun-sellers of Pharaoh, their counsel is become senseless. Two classes of advisers seem to be intended - nobles, supposed to be qualified by birth; and "wise men," qualified by study and education. Both would now be found equally incapable. Pharaoh. Probably Tirhakah is intended. It is possible that he was really suzerain of Egypt at the time of Sennacherib's invasion, when Shabatek was nominally king. It is certain that, after the death of Shabatok (about B.C. 698), he was recognized as sovereign both of Ethiopia and of Egypt, and ruled over both countries. Esarhaddon found him still occupying this position in B.C. 673, when he made his Egyptian expedition. Tirhakah's capital at this time was Memphis. How say ye, etc.? With what face can you boast of your descent, or of your learning, when you are unable to give any sound advice?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The princes
שָׂ֣רֵי (śā·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

of Zoan
צֹ֔עַן (ṣō·‘an)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6814: Zoan -- a place in Egypt

are mere
אַךְ־ (’aḵ-)
Adverb
Strong's 389: A particle of affirmation, surely

fools;
אֱוִלִים֙ (’ĕ·wi·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 196: Silly, foolish, impious

Pharaoh’s
פַרְעֹ֔ה (p̄ar·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

wise
חַכְמֵי֙ (ḥaḵ·mê)
Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2450: Wise

counselors
עֵצָ֖ה (‘ê·ṣāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6098: Advice, plan, prudence

give senseless
נִבְעָרָ֑ה (niḇ·‘ā·rāh)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish

advice.
יֹעֲצֵ֣י (yō·‘ă·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6098: Advice, plan, prudence

How
אֵ֚יךְ (’êḵ)
Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

can you say
תֹּאמְר֣וּ (tō·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Pharaoh,
פַּרְעֹ֔ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

“I
אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am one
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of the wise,
חֲכָמִ֥ים (ḥă·ḵā·mîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2450: Wise

a son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of eastern
קֶֽדֶם׃ (qe·ḏem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6924: The front, of place, time

kings”?
מַלְכֵי־ (mal·ḵê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4428: A king


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 19:11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 19:10
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